Fluid analysis systems and related methods of analyzing foam rheology

Abstract

A fluid analysis system includes a fluid circuit and a foam generator positioned along the fluid circuit. The foam generator is configured to receive a gas and a viscous fluid to produce a fluid mixture. The fluid analysis system further includes a helical coil positioned along the fluid circuit downstream of the foam generator and configured to receive the fluid mixture. The fluid analysis system further includes one or more processors for determining a foam rheology of the fluid mixture after the fluid mixture flows through the helical coil.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid analysis system comprising:
 a fluid circuit;   a foam generator positioned along the fluid circuit and configured to receive a gas and a viscous fluid to produce a fluid mixture;   a helical coil positioned along the fluid circuit downstream of the foam generator and configured to receive the fluid mixture; and   one or more processors for determining a foam rheology of the fluid mixture after the fluid mixture flows through the helical coil.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mass flow controller positioned along the fluid circuit and configured to pump the gas into the fluid circuit. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pump positioned along the fluid circuit and configured to pump an actuation fluid into the circuit; and   an accumulator positioned along the fluid circuit and upstream of the foam generator for receiving the actuation fluid.   
     
     
         4 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 3 , wherein the accumulator comprises a piston that defines:
 a liquid chamber that receives the viscous fluid prior to a start of a flow cycle; and   an actuation chamber that receives the actuation fluid during the flow cycle.   
     
     
         5 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 4 , wherein the fluid analysis system is configured such that the actuation fluid acts on the piston to move the viscous fluid out of the liquid chamber into the fluid circuit during the flow cycle. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising a view cell positioned along the fluid circuit downstream of the helical coil, wherein the fluid circuit comprises a bypass line that runs fluidically parallel to the view cell. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mass flow meter positioned along the fluid circuit downstream of the helical coil, wherein the foam rheology comprises a foam quality, and wherein the fluid analysis system is configured to determine the foam quality based on one or more measurements acquired at the mass flow meter. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid mixture comprises a foam. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the foam rheology comprises a viscosity of the fluid mixture. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid circuit comprises an open fluid circuit. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid analysis system comprises a single-pass system. 
     
     
         12 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the viscous fluid comprises a fracturing fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the viscous fluid comprises a crosslinked gel. 
     
     
         14 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2  in a supercritical state. 
     
     
         15 . The fluid analysis system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid analysis system comprises a foam rheometer. 
     
     
         16 . A method of analyzing a viscous fluid, the method comprising:
 flowing a gas and the viscous fluid into a foam generator positioned along a fluid circuit;   producing a fluid mixture from the gas and the viscous fluid at the foam generator;   flowing the fluid mixture through a helical coil positioned along the fluid circuit and downstream of the foam generator; and   determining, via one or more processors, a foam rheology of the fluid mixture after the fluid mixture flows through the helical coil in a single pass.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 depositing the viscous fluid within an accumulator positioned along the fluid circuit and upstream of the foam generator; and   pumping an actuation fluid against a piston within the accumulator to move the viscous fluid out of the accumulator and into the fluid circuit.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the foam rheology comprises a foam quality, and wherein the method further comprises determining the foam quality based on one or more measurements acquired at the mass flow meter positioned along the fluid circuit downstream of the helical coil. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the fluid circuit comprises an open fluid circuit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the viscous fluid comprises a fracturing fluid.